August 17, 2007

Schadenfreude 18 (A Continuing Series)

If last night was any indication, these could be two long weeks for the Yankees.

As the Bombers began their crucial 14-game stretch against the American League's three division leaders, Mike Mussina was lit up for seven runs in five innings - including four in the first, courtesy of a Carlos Guillen grand slam - in an 8-5 loss to the Tigers at the Stadium. The two teams, who had not met since Detroit's victory in last October's AL division series, will play seven more times in the next 11 days. ...

After winning 24 of 32 games to start the season's second half, the Yankees (67-54) have dropped three straight for the second time since June 28.

Joe Torre summoned Kyle Farnsworth into the game in the sixth inning with the Yankees trailing by four runs. Brought to The Bronx to be Mariano Rivera's setup man, Farnsworth has turned into a $5.25 million mop-up man.

The loss was the Yankees third straight and started a 14-game stretch against the Tigers, Angels and Red Sox on a downer.

It had to feel like an eerie and altogether unsettling continuation of the last time the Tigers and the Yankees met on the field, last October, in what remains one of the few low points of the modern Yankees era. ...